Bismarck Tirpitz

[stug3]

Stug, there appears to be a smaller, destroyer type ship in front on that upper photo. Any idea as to the identity of it?

No, but a good guess could probably made from a detailed account of the battle, should be one online somewhere.

Prinz Eugen was a heavy cruiser, not a battle cruiser.

You're right about that.

 

[parsifal]

The German heavy cruiser PRINZ EUGEN was torpedoed and severely damaged by a British submarine off Norway in February 1942. On 16 May she sailed from Trondheim in an attempt to reach her home port in Germany for further repairs. Coastal Command organised a strike for the following evening involving 12 No 42 Squadron Beauforts, inluding the Mk IIA seen here with its crew preparing for the operation.


http://ww2today.com/17th-may1942-heavy-losses-as-coastal-command-attacks-prinz-eugen

Dont know the escort as yet

 

[silence]

Bismarck's log is a recreation after she was sunk. After her rudder was jammed they wanted to fly it back to Fleet but the compressed air launcher for the floatplanes had been damaged by a splinter from a PoW shell at the Denmark Straits.

 

[redcoat]

Make you wonder if the Bismark had a weakness before the Swordfish torpedos hit home

3 heavy German warships suffered major failures of their sterns when hit by a single torpedo, the Bismarck, the Lutzow on the 11/4/1940 and the Prinz Eugen on the 23/2/1942

 

[silence]

3 heavy German warships suffered major failures of their sterns when hit by a single torpedo, the Bismarck, the Lutzow on the 11/4/1940 and the Prinz Eugen on the 23/2/1942

Bismarck didn't lose her stern until she hit bottom. The swordfish stern hit would do similar damage to any other ship: you just can't protect against a hit there, no more than you can protect against Norfolk blowing off your main fire control.

Luetzow and Prinz Eugen make me think that the KM should have been built with transom sterns rather than waiting for the RN to make the modifications for them.

 

[redcoat]

Bismarck didn't lose her stern until she hit bottom. .

Indeed she didn't, but there is evidence that the cause of her jammed steering was the stern collapsing on to the rudders.
More info;
Bismarck's Final Battle - Part 2

 

[silence]

This is speculation without evidence (at least none mentioned) on the part of G&D: "we believe". This is only conjecture based, I believe, on the two other occurrences.

Neither is there any witness testimony regarding this collapse, so we don't really know, which is not to say it could not have happened.

It is my understanding that the part of the stern which broke lose is aft of the rudders.

My personal opinion is that the ... emanations ... from the uncleaned litterbox for Bismarck's cat corroded the rudder shafts.